Topic: History

Classical Liberalism, Government, History

Conquistadors and Indian Rights

– January 3, 2023

“Though this counters today’s understanding of colonialism generally, and the conquest in particular, the fact is that Spanish treatment of Indians in the Americas was not the monolithically brutal affair it is so often portrayed to be.” ~ Paul Schwennesen

Government, History, Media

The Twitter Files and FDR’s Blue Eagle

– December 24, 2022

“Almost 90 years ago, for example, the US government used a different blue bird, The Blue Eagle, to coerce company compliance with the worst type of disinformation of all: that related to prices.” ~ Robert E. Wright

Fiscal Policy, Government, History

A President Who Warned Americans What Extravagant Federal Spending Would Do to Character

– December 18, 2022

“Cleveland saw his job as upholding the Constitution and keeping the federal government in its proper place, not weakening ‘the bonds of common brotherhood’ by robbing Peter to pay Paul.” ~ Lawrence W. Reed

Classical Liberalism, Education, History, Philosophy

The American Heritage of Freedom in the Liberal Arts

– December 16, 2022

“The study of human nature through the liberal arts will help us in this return. As the student studies man’s capabilities, he learns to preserve liberty rather than trampling on others’ or relinquishing his own.” ~ Paul D. Moreno

Art and Culture, Government, History

These Are the Good Old Days

– December 13, 2022

“We shouldn’t ground our political views on the shifting sands of flawed, emotional recollections. And we shouldn’t empower politicians who have so little respect for us that they think we will fall for these stories.” ~ Solomon D. Stevens

Authoritarianism, Government, History, Socialism

Six Ways Socialism is Anti-Social

– December 10, 2022

“Even if a socialist’s own life is a mess, he still knows how to run everybody else’s. Even if he doesn’t believe there’s a God, he thinks the State can be one.” ~ Lawrence W. Reed

Authoritarianism, Free Markets, Government, History

A Birthday No One Celebrates

– December 6, 2022

“The birth 100 years ago of the USSR is reason to reflect on the indomitable human spirit that cannot be contained by systems of government that do not foster liberty under the rule of law.” ~ Will Sellers

Environmentalism, Government, History, Science

The Malthusian Contradiction

– December 5, 2022

“The truth is that it’s humans who create resources in the first place. When Malthusians point to explosive population growth, they think they are identifying a problem. They are actually identifying the solution.” ~ Antony Davies

Art and Culture, History, International

The Hare With Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal. A Review.

– November 25, 2022

“De Waal decides he needs to know more about his inherited netsukes and ends up on a multi-year ride finding out about his family and their interaction with the objects.” ~ Daniel Asia

Art and Culture, Government, History

A Series of Miracles

– November 24, 2022

“Take a cue from Lincoln and appreciate the blessings that we do enjoy rather than pining for things we don’t. Take a cue from the best America has produced and say a prayer of thanks. Happy Thanksgiving.” ~ James R. Harrigan

Economic Education, Free Markets, History

The Pilgrims’ Real Thanksgiving Lesson

– November 24, 2022

“The economic incentives provided by private competitive markets where people are left free to make their own choices make bountiful feasts possible.” ~ Benjamin Powell

Classical Liberalism, Government, History, Religion

When Giving Is Smart and When It Isn’t

– November 20, 2022

“If a charity proves to be ineffective or corrupt, its donors vanish; when the welfare department squanders public money and perpetuates social problems across generations, it usually gets more tax revenue.” ~ Lawrence W. Reed